Arg's Travel Log

[Lobby]

15 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

By the way, what happened to free parking at the Vegas casinos? You drop $100 for dinner, $250 for a show, and a few hundred in the casino, and you'd think they'd offer free parking. Lol. 

 

“Let’s see. What else can we charge them for?”

 

Greedy sob’s

[StudentGolfer4]

Enjoy Bryce and Zion. Absolutely wonderful parks. Bryce is great because it’s small enough you can hike down and through in a couple of hours. 
 

What made Zion so memorable to me was you start on the floor of the canyon (maybe not technically a canyon idk) and you are surrounded everywhere by rock.

 

To me, Bryce can be done in a day. Zion needs at least 2 to get a feel for it. 

[Argonne69]

4 hours ago, eboettne said:

I may have missed it but no luck getting on Shadow Creek?

 

They aerated the greens the day before I wanted to play. Pebble Beach discounted their rounds when they aerated, but Shadow Creek was charging the full rate. Didn't want to spend $1500+ to play on a bucket list course with punched greens. 

 

[Argonne69]

Pleasant drive to Mesquite. A few construction zones, but overall no worries. Nice views of the mountains in the southern Nevada desert. If I recall correctly, the drive to St George will be a little more intense with a stretch through the mountains. 

 

The speed limit is 75 mph for most of the way, but I'm limited to 60-65 mph towing the Honda. Always fun being the tortoise in the right lane. Lol. 

 

Decent, small RV park. Seems quiet. No neighbors at this point. Crushed rock spaces are very uneven, though. Hate having my wheels up in the air. 

 

 

Booked an RV park near Bryce Canyon National Park. It's a fairly short drive from St George, but then it leaves a lengthy 4.5 hour drive to Moab. I was planning to play Millsite GC when I'm there, but it turns out to be 2 hours away. I might look for an RV park close to Millsite, and split the drive into two shorter segments. Either that, or I'll hit Millsite on the way back from Grand Junction on the way to Provo/SLC. 

 

Early morning round at Oasis Palmer tomorrow. After a "late" night last night, it'll be an early bedtime tonight. 

 

Edited May 2 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Lol. Frustrating afternoon trying to book golf in St George for next week. I need a beer. Unfortunately Mesquite does not have a brewery. Closest one is 40 minutes away. 

 

Started with Black Desert. I was hoping to play the course next Wednesday, but they didn't have a single tee time until Sunday the 12th. OK, tried booking that, but the website is messed up, and won't let you confirm the reservation after logging into your Chronogolf account. Tried 3 different browsers on 2 different OSs, and no dice. Called the pro shop and was told that they're closed for several days early next week for aeration, and the first time available is the 12th. Fine, I'll take it. Sorry, the tee time is locked in the reservation system. Must be you holding it, so call back in 10 minutes, as we don't know how to force an unlock. Call back later and get sent to voicemail 3 times. Sigh. Eventually managed to book it. 

 

Next up was Coral Canyon. Check their website and there are no tee times for next Wednesday through Sunday. Like zero. Call the pro shop and I'm told that there are openings, but no idea why the booking engine is drawing a blank. Course is also closed for several days early next week for aeration, so I booked a round for Saturday. Greens will probably be bumpy, but not much I can do. 

 

Next up was Copper Rock. Check Google Maps and they don't have a website listed. Never saw this before. Call the pro shop, and thankfully they're open on Wednesday. Aeration? No, we have an Epson tournament starting on the 12th. Cool. Oh, and it'll be cart path only for the four days prior to the tournament. Can I walk? No, we don't allow walking. Grrrrr. 

 

Going to be a fun visit to St George. Lol. 

 

Edited May 2 by Argonne69

[vallygolf]

6 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Lol. Frustrating afternoon trying to book golf in St George for next week. I need a beer. Unfortunately Mesquite does not have a brewery. Closest one is 40 minutes away. 

 

Started with Black Desert. I was hoping to play the course next Wednesday, but they didn't have a single tee time until Sunday the 12th. OK, tried booking that, but the website is messed up, and won't let you confirm the reservation after logging into your Chronogolf account. Tried 3 different browsers on 2 different OSs, and no dice. Called the pro shop and was told that they're closed for several days early next week for aeration, and the first time available is the 12th. Fine, I'll take it. Sorry, the tee time is locked in the reservation system. Must be you holding it, so call back in 10 minutes, as we don't know how to force an unlock. Call back later and get sent to voicemail 3 times. Sigh. Eventually managed to book it. 

 

Next up was Coral Canyon. Check their website and there are no tee times for next Wednesday through Sunday. Like zero. Call the pro shop and I'm told that there are openings, but no idea why the booking engine is drawing a blank. Course is also closed for several days early next week for aeration, so I booked a round for Saturday. Greens will probably be bumpy, but not much I can do. 

 

Next up was Copper Rock. Check Google Maps and they don't have a website listed. Never saw this before. Call the pro shop, and thankfully they're open on Wednesday. Aeration? No, we have an Epson tournament starting on the 12th. Cool. Oh, and it'll be cart path only for the four days prior to the tournament. Can I walk? No, we don't allow walking. Grrrrr. 

 

Going to be a fun visit to St George. Lol. 

 

I can hear mike tyson knockout playing in the back ground..... "upper cut" "upper cut" "body blow"......

[Argonne69]

I did manage to book an RV park for Moab. Had to try six different parks before I found one with an opening. Apparently late May is a popular time for the national parks. Hopefully the crowds aren't too huge. 

 

I'll try to visit Millsite on the way back from Grand Junction. 

 

[Argonne69]

The plan was to hit Salt Lake City after Grand Junction. Provo is roughly an hour south. Any courses in the Provo area that would merit a couple of days stay before heading north? 

 

The Oaks at Spanish Fork, Hobble Creek, and Gladstan look fairly interesting. 

 

Edited May 3 by Argonne69

[st1800e]

Not playing Sand Hollow? 

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, st1800e said:

Not playing Sand Hollow? 

 

No, played it on my last visit to St George. 

 

Windy day 

 

 

 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mzodyj54u82c76os489kn/AJg5k7JL00YP5UER3Rkhsz0?rlkey=x03yhlcowd677f7lw799wrfi2&dl=0

 

Edited May 3 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Enjoyable morning. Lovely weather with plenty of sun and wonderful views from elevated tees. Carts mandatory, but once again I walked in from the fairway, and hiked from the green to the next teebox. Very weird encounter with the ranger on the 18th hole. He saw me walking several times, and said nothing. After hitting my approach on the final hole he drove out and warned me that he'd throw me off the course if he saw me walking again. My playing partner, a local regular, laughed and said, "You do realize that we're on the last hole?". We waited to hit on most holes, and finished in under three hours. Gee, I guess I learned my lesson. Lol. 

 

Anyway, Oasis GC's Palmer course today. Pretty much what I expect from a Mesquite course. Not quite as scenic as Wolf Creek, especially with all the housing, but it does have some picturesque holes with plenty of elevation change. Several holes play through low "canyon" areas with red rocks looming on both sides. Water in play on six holes. Only one hole with any real left/right movement. Fairway bunkering was light, but not really needed with plenty of trouble on both sides. Greenside bunkering was better. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee with plenty of narrow fairways. There's also the intimidation factor of looking out and knowing that there's zero room left or right. Minor misses had to be quite minor, as the rough was narrow and cut low. Big misses were OB or lost in the desert. A lucky bounce off the steep sides might send you back into play. 

 

Approaches were also fairly tough. Numerous small, elevated greens with solid greenside bunkering. Greens didn't have a lot of contouring, but did have a good amount of slope. Up and downs were tricky with plenty of uneven lies, and short siding opportunities. 

 

Par 3s were mixed. The front's three were decent, but the 16th was ho hum despite its elevated tee. The three 5s were meh. One was reachable, but no real danger. Short 4s were decent. Not much trouble off the tee, but tough approaches to small greens. 

 

Conditions were good. Bermuda was greening up, but still had a few iffy areas. Rough was low. Bunkers were quite good. Greens were bumpy, and speed was only 9. 

 

Played a Black/Blue combo at 6230 yds on the par 71 layout (70.4/133). Solid ballstriking, but the bumpy greens knocked more than a few putts offline. Two birdies and six bogies. Highlight of the round were my three playing partners. The locals are regulars, and made me feel like one of the gang. 

 

Going with 6 cows despite the lack of a good risk/reward par 5. Tough course if you're not hitting it dead straight. At $185 it's certainly not bargain golf. $100 would be more like it. That said, it's a must play in the area. 

 

[Argonne69]

Oasis GC, The Palmer, Mesquite, NV 

 

 

 

 

 

Another tough tee shot 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3ybgiv77xj17h5354mszu/APn-Zcb17WDgHU_rAAX82Zo?rlkey=jkl0g5ia3ysy5t9pnghgn5xow&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Found an early morning tee time at Wolf Creek on Monday, so I swapped it for Palms. I certainly like checking off new courses, but Wolf Creek is one of my favorites. Easily a top 20 course, and I can't really pass it up. Rates drop to $260 on Monday, so while it's still pricey, it's not crazy. 

 

[Argonne69]

No breweries in town, so I stopped by Wedgies Sports Bar hoping to find something resembling craft beer. No luck. The Shocktop Orange Wheat was OK. The Hole in One Burger was decent with a good helping of O rings. 

 

 

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Oasis GC, The Palmer, Mesquite, NV 

 

 

 

 

 

Another tough tee shot 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/3ybgiv77xj17h5354mszu/APn-Zcb17WDgHU_rAAX82Zo?rlkey=jkl0g5ia3ysy5t9pnghgn5xow&dl=0

 

Lots of housing added since last time I played there. I always remembered it as such a good challenge off the tee. As the straightest driver in my group I always enjoyed playing there, the other guys in my group, not so much…

[Double Mocha Man]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Very weird encounter with the ranger on the 18th hole. He saw me walking several times, and said nothing. After hitting my approach on the final hole he drove out and warned me that he'd throw me off the course if he saw me walking again.

 

I hope you made sure he saw you drive your clubs to your SUV in the parking lot.  What a little power trip he was on...

[Argonne69]

Going to be a rough round at Falcon Ridge tomorrow. Winds will be 25 mph sustained, 

 

[Lobby]

This is such a cool thread

[stevopagolf]

21 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

No breweries in town, so I stopped by Wedgies Sports Bar hoping to find something resembling craft beer. No luck. The Shocktop Orange Wheat was OK. The Hole in One Burger was decent with a good helping of O rings. 

 

 

Utah not known for its brewery or bar scene.  You used to have to get a membership card to get served.....Good luck on the stout front!

[Argonne69]

19 minutes ago, stevopagolf said:

Utah not known for its brewery or bar scene.  You used to have to get a membership card to get served.....Good luck on the stout front!

 

Yeah it used to be rather silly. Members could sponsor a person for the day, so you'd walk in, and a random person would sponsor you, and you'd buy them a drink. 

 

[Argonne69]

Crazy morning. Sunny and no winds early, but with the forecast calling for strong afternoon winds, I decided to take a chance and head to the course early. I couldn't get a tee time at Falcon Ridge until 10:50 am, but with nothing else to do, I figured it was worth a shot. I got there and the parking lot was packed. A very large group had the tee sheet booked solid until 10:50 am. The pro shop said that there was a threesome on the 3rd hole that I could join if I was willing to skip a few holes. Skip I did. I wasn't going to wait around for over 4 hours, and then play behind the last of the outing's groups while the winds picked up. Snapped a few photos along the way, and caught the threesome on the 4th. I was actually able to join my original 10:50 am group on the 1st tee, and play the opening three holes. 

 

Falcon Ridge is very similar to Oasis Palmer with plenty of elevation changes, wonderful views of the surrounding area, red rock canyons, and homes lining many holes. I'd say it has more variety in the holes, though, and not as tight. Fairway bunkering was very light. Greenside was OK. Water on just 4 holes, and just 3 holes with left/right movement. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with somewhat generous fairways. There are a couple of forced carries, but they're on holes with very elevated tees. The rough was fairly narrow, and with plenty of mounding, minor misses could be trouble. Big misses were definitely trouble. Approaches were tough. Numerous elevated greens, as well as downhill shots from uneven lies. Greens were similar to Oasis Palmer with decent tiering, contouring, and a good amount of slope. Putting was less than easy. Up and downs were no picnic, either. Plenty of uneven lies around the greens. 

 

The five par 3s were decent. The 2nd and the 5th were short, but tough. The pair on the back were long, but playing a club downhill. The five par 5s were mixed, but generally good. The 1st was reachable, but no risk. The 10th was a fun hole with a split fairway with a creek running down the middle. The 12th was fantastic. A true risk/reward hole. The dogleg (right) had two ponds pinching the fairway. Risk hitting to the narrowing finger, and it was 200 yds to the green, but it was tucked behind the right pond. The layup was no easy task as you still had to carry a good portion of the pond. Short 4s were mixed. The 11th was a very good risk/reward hole. The dogleg left was driveable, but it was all carry to basically a hidden green. Otherwise is was a long iron off the tee right, and a lob wedge in.

 

Conditions tee to green were very good. Rough was cut low. Bunkers could use a proper grooming. Shadows of footprints washed away from rain/water indicate that they haven't been raked in some time. Greens unfortunately were still recovering from aeration. Bumpy, but the speed was decent. At least 10. 

 

Played a Black/Silver combo at 6390 yds (69.9/131). Glad I made the grip change, as the driver is really beginning to behave. Irons were decent. Putter took the day off, but with the slope and bumpy greens, I can't really blame it. Six bogies. Highlight of the round was simply getting it in before the winds hit. I'm sitting inside Bessie typing this and she's rocking like a dinghy on the open ocean. I'd rather be sitting here enjoying a Boulevard barrel aged quad instead of playing behind the outing in the wind waiting on every shot. 

 

Once again I'm going with a solid 6 cows. Definitely some great looking holes, but also a few throw aways. Could use more bunkering. Short 4s need more trouble. The $115 weekend rate was ridiculously good. Not quite half the price of Oasis, but still. Definitely a must play in Mesquite. 

 

Edited May 4 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Falcon Ridge GC, Mesquite, NV 

 

 

 

 

 

Split fairway on the par 5 10th 

 

 

Driveable 11th with the green tucked left behind the mound 

 

 

Par 5 12th 

 

 

Go or no-go 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/m2lv8a73qv5br9rxf5v21/AEjy8sqtJzAvDFpqezZKe5Y?rlkey=hag9u180hw2bf0j1zicm09s95&dl=0

 

Edited May 4 by Argonne69

[st1800e]

Nice, played it last November.  Glad you enjoyed it.  I did as well.  

[Argonne69]

Looking ahead to Salt Lake City at the end of May, I somehow managed to get the Promontory Club's Painted Valley (Nicklaus) and Canyon (Dye) courses on my list. The club doesn't appear to be open until mid-May, so no answer at the pro shop, but I did manage to find some information buried on the semi-private's website. Unaccompanied play is $500 plus forecaddie. Lol. Yeah, not going to happen. 

 

Looks like Canyons GC in Park City is the better option, along with Soldier Hollow (Gold), and Bountiful Ridge. 

 

[Argonne69]

Not a lot of options in Mesquite, but La Fonda was decent. The mole pablano was tasty. Bonus for the side of guac. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Lol. What a weird day. In a good way, though. It actually started yesterday afternoon when the winds picked up. Spent the night watching TV with my living room slide in, as I'm paranoid about the wind damaging the topper on the slide. Don't need to be hassling with getting that replaced in the middle of nowhere. A little claustrophobic, though. Woke up to the sound of an alarm beeping at 3 am. My refrigerator was flashing "No A/C". Looked out the window and saw no lights, so the entire park was without power. Fired up the generator to get the air conditioner and fridge running again, and tried to fall back asleep. Tough to do when you're listening to a generator. Thankfully the power came back on in roughly 30 minutes, as I heard one of my electronic devices chirp as it powered up. Got up to turn off the generator, but had trouble falling back asleep. As I layed in bed I considered taking the day off. The forecast once again called for 20 mph winds with gusts up to 30 mph. Not my idea of fun. I did manage to fall back asleep for an hour, but morning came quickly. Figured that there's not much to do in town besides the casinos, so I headed out early to the course. 

 

Pulled into a nearly empty parking lot at Oasis GC. Seems that I wasn't the only one considering a day off. On a Sunday morning I was expecting plenty of diehards to be out, but instead I was sent out as a single on the empty Canyons course. Wind aside, playing a weekend round on an empty course is pretty sweet. I thought the cloudy skies would spoil many of the photos, but I was pleasantly surprised that many turned out pretty cool. Turned out to be a fun morning. 

 

The Canyons course is good looking, but takes a back seat to the Palmer course at Oasis. Still plenty of elevation changes, and a couple of great views from elevated tees, but also too many lackluster holes. That, and the homes. Bunkering was light. Water on 6 holes. Only 3 holes with left/right movement, all on the front. The mounding was pretty good, along with the red rock canyon walls on a few holes. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with generous fairways and no long forced carries other than the par 5 2nd. Felt more open than Palmer. Rough was also generous, so minor misses were playable. Big misses would of course find the desert or a backyard. Approaches were fairly straightforward other than having to deal with the wind. A handful of greens had some nice tiering and contours, but most were rather benign. Putting was mostly stress free. Up and down were mixed. Most were fairly easy, but there were a number of raised greens with steep dropoffs that left tricky blind pitches, e.g. #18 left. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Three had great looks from elevated tees, and two had water in play. Decent mix of lengths. The 9th was probably the best with a 2 club drop and a small creek circling the front. The three 5s were meh. No risk/reward and not much trouble. Only one short par 4, and it was a doozy. At 258 yds from the back tees, it was driveable, but the green was small, and had a stream in front. No realistic chance of landing a drive on the green and staying there. Layed up short, and it was a tricky half lob to the shallow green. 

 

Conditions were good. Fairways were playable. Rough was cut low. Bunkers had a few too many small rocks, but were otherwise sandy. Greens were still healing from aeration, and were a bit bumpy. Speed wasn't quite 10. 

 

Played a Blue/White combo at 6230 yds on the par 71 layout (70.5/132). I think I'm a decent wind player with my low ball flight, but I surprised even myself today. It certainly helped that most holes seemed to be playing crosswind, with only a handful playing into the teeth of the wind. Driver was decent. Hit a lot of low running irons that found the green. Putter was very good. Three birdies, six bogies, and a double. Highlight of the round was draining a 54' Texas wedge from a few feet off the 16th green for a birdie. The 36' birdie on the 11th wasn't too shabby. Pleasant surprise of the round was my 3rd on the par 5 8th. Playing into the wind, I hit a low drawing 8 iron from 135 yds that scooted diagonally across the green and came to rest on the downslope behind the green. Or so I thought. I saw the ball come to a rest above the hole in the rough, but when I got to the green it had rolled down to 18 feet from the cup, setting up the first birdie. Lowlight was hooking the snot out of my tee shot on the par 3 9th with the bonus of a right to left wind. Double city. Most embarrassing moment came on the par 5 16th. Luckily there was nobody to see it. Playing into the wind, a big gust came up on my backswing, and nearly knocked me over. I swung up on the ball and produced a towering 167 yd drive. Lol. 

 

Don't think this one merits six, so I'm going with a strong 5 cows. Could possibly be convinced to add one, though. Some nice views, but also some meh holes. Needs more bunkering, a risk/reward 5, and another tough short par 4. The $130 weekend rate was $55 cheaper than the Palmer course, and I can see why. Very playable with a handful of tough holes, but I think it can be skipped. If you have one round to play, Palmer is the choice. 

 

Edited May 5 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Oasis GC, Canyons Course, Mesquite, NV 

 

 

 

Forced carry over the desert on the par 5 2nd 

 

 

Clouds were cool today 

 

 

 

 

Par 3 9th 

 

 

Nice view of the 16th from the 11th teebox 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/zjfl4g68i9gbi6b8oariq/AMxcuFNRhO799VIG0vne8qQ?rlkey=rrvb360udzynx3gjwnxuggg7q&dl=0

 

Edited May 5 by Argonne69

[mci711]

Pictures like this make me question myself for living in the Midwest. 

 

[Argonne69]

Just now, mci711 said:

Pictures like this make me question myself for living in the Midwest. 

 

 

I'm sure the 115 degree summer days might convince you that the Midwest isn't so bad. Lol.

 

 

 

[mci711]

31 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I'm sure the 115 degree summer days might convince you that the Midwest isn't so bad. Lol.

 

 

 

 

Not sure.. Is 115 with no humidity really worse than 90-95 with 90% humidity?